If
you want to infuse the element of surprise into your road trip planning,
secretly pack a suitcase and stow it in the trunk of the car. Admittedly, this works better if it’s the
woman who’s doing the surprise.Men
generally aren’t as picky as to what they’ll wear out to dinner while women
have definite ideas, so men, if you want to keep the road trip a total
surprise, I’d recommend on packing at least 3 different outfits for her or pack
just the day clothes and add shops to your itinerary to take her shopping for
her to choose an outfit to wear out for dinner.

·A
picnic basket with a wine bottle opener, cutting board, utensils, etc.Stop at a local store to pick up the wine,
cheese, crackers.This is also a good
time to ask the locals about their favorite spots for a picnic.

·A
blanket to take for your picnic in the sun or for night-time star gazing.

·Scented
candles for the hotel room.

·Romantic
CDs for the hotel room, upbeat CDs for when cruising on the highway.

·A
good road map (nothing kills the romantic mood faster than arguing about how
you missed the turnoff or why you can’t pull over and ask for directions).However, if you should get lost, view it an
adventure and use it as an opportunity to stop for refreshments or pick up a
souvenir from your unexpected detour.

January 15, 2009

The sheer
size ofAlaska is enough to intrigue any road trip planner because they wonder if Alaska can really
be explored in one road trip. Alaska
offers vast mountains, colossal blue-white glaciers and an abundance of wildlife
with activities unique to the state. This combination earns an Alaskan Road Trip top
honors in travelers’ memory books.

For most road
trip planners, their itinerary will start with flight plans. Most people flying in will land in Anchorage.
At this point, they’ll either rent a car and stay in hotels along the way
(reserved in advance of course!) or they’ll rent an RV to explore Alaska at their own pace (with their itinerary allowing impromptu exploration
options).

After exploring Anchorage’s
offerings, many place the city of Tok as a destination in their road
trip planner because it helps create a good triangle for your road trip. Tok is known as the "Sled Dog Capital of
Alaska”. Plan on 5 ½ hours driving time from
Anchorage but you’ll want to stop – even spend a day or two – around the Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park. This is the
largest and most magnificent of the National Parks of Alaska, with nine of the
16 highest peaks in the United States. This mountain region contains numerous
glaciers, lakes and mountain streams and is home to a rich variety of wild
life. It is superb country for climbers, walkers and water sports enthusiasts.

Fairbanks would be the third point
of your trip triangle to add to your road trip planner (Anchorage to Tok to
Fairbanks). Some travelers start their
Alaskan Road Trip by flying in to Fairbanks, so for them, their trip triangle
would be Fairbanks, Anchorage, Tok. Fairbanks
is second biggest city of Alaska and has the all the amenities of an urban
community. The Gold Rush Street at
Pioneer Park was a replica but a real operating gold mine exists in this proud
city. Visit the Museum of the North, take a river trip for half-day cruise
through the Chena and Tanana Rivers. In
the summer, the Riverboat Discovery Tour runs twice a day. Trip reservations are a must so make the
necessary arrangements ahead of time.

Leaving
Fairbanks, include the impressive Denali
National Park in your road trip planner before hitting Anchorage. Denali contains Mount McKinley, the tallest
mountain in North America and is definitely worthy of some heavy-duty
exploration.

A four- to
six-hour drive down south from Denali National Park, passing through Talkeetna,
you’ll reach the town of Wasilla.Moose or bear sightings along the way are
often part of the journey. For canoeing
experience, go to the Nancy Lake Recreation Area. There are plenty of cabins to rent for
overnight stays. Further south, visit
the Big Lake for swimming, camping, jet-ski and fishing. Proceed to Mat-Su
Valley and drop by Iditarod Trail Headquarters on Knik Road. Learn some history
at Knik Museum and the Sled Dog Musher’s Hall of Fame.

Another town
to add to your road trip planner is Palmer, only 15 minutes away from
Wasilla.There is a great RV
campground here as well as some cool farms like the Musk Ox Farm.Best
time to be here is in late August when the Alaska State Fair is celebrated.

Leave
another day in your road trip planner to explore more of Anchorage.It has plenty of hiking opportunities,
cultural events and art exhibits. The Flattop Mountain and Chugach State
Park are the city’s pride together with Alaska Zoo and Potter Marsh, a bird
and wildlife sanctuary.

If you have
more time, add another leg of your road trip by driving along the Seward
Highway, designated as the All-American Road, and enjoy the scenic view. Picnic opportunities are everywhere, and the
picture perfect backdrop is hard to resist. Fishing, camping and canoeing
activities in the Kenai/Soldotna area are nice options too.

Now that I’ve
shared one road trip example, make sure you customize yours to best reflect
your vision of Alaska.Below are some tips to help you get the most
out of your trip.

When is the best
time to…?

See the Northern
Lights;
plan on coming either late fall and early spring.

Enjoy the
Midnight Sun; place June 21st in the middle of your
road trip planning.

Go whale watching; head to Alaska anytime from mid-May through mid-September.

View the most wildlife; summer-time will get you sightings of moose, bear,
mountain sheep, caribou, coyote, wolves, sheep, beaver, otter, mink, or hare. In addition, birdwatchers can photo-capture
eagles, hawks, jays, owls, spruce hens, grouse, and ptarmigan and migratory
waterfowl coming north to nest each summer.

January 05, 2009

Forget about ho-hum New Year’s resolutions like “lose weight” or “save more”, add FUN to your year by vowing to use your Road Trip Planner at least once a month to find adventure near and far.

Lest you think that there’s no way you could afford a monthly excursion, keep in mind that many itineraries can be filled with free activities. A road trip can be for as little as one day or as long as three months (any longer and it’s really more of a life-style change or a walkabout). Whether you’re packing up the car with a picnic basket, a backpack or a 5-piece luggage set, if you’re hitting the road, you’re on a road trip!

January & March: Imagine a perfect day trip within two hours of your home to an area you’ve always wanted to explore more thoroughly but usually just pass by it to and from your “real” vacations. Sometimes it’s simply that city across the bay or in a neighboring county. You could be near someplace like Day Tripping in Seattle or Explore La Jolla Cove on the West Coast; By Car, Cape Cod or Touring nature's green spaces, Niagara Falls - New York in the East. Consider the places between like Scenic tour from Dinosaur Ridge to Red Rocks Park, Denver or Walking Tour of Downtown, Memphis. Even though the weather might be chilly, as long as you dress accordingly, the fun factor’s equal to the task. Walking along the beach in the winter is invigorating! Grabbing the kids for some ice-skating is a blast and provides a great photo op (think bright-eyes & pink-cheeks). Just do a bit of road trip planning so you’ll have the addresses and directions on hand then fill your itinerary with some activities in the area. Add in a restaurant and some shops and you’ve successfully gotten yourself out from under the pile of household chores and into an all-day adventure, definitely more fun in anyone’s book.

February & April: An overnight stay is just enough time to give you a taste of escape. Here, your road trip planner might include an overnight stay in an 1860 Antebellum mansion B & B (especially around Valentine’s Day). Strolling along a park under an umbrella big enough for two is romantic. Finding your gal a filigree necklace in an antique shop earns you major points. Or you might find yourself in the Tioga State Forest in Pennsylvania, staying Black Bear Log Cabin with your kids just to get everyone outside and hiking along the trails. May & June: Now the weather’s warming up and you’re digging in the closet for your t-shirts and shorts. This might be where you go on a couple of 3-Day Weekend Getaways as teaser vacations. Now your road trip planner might easily include 200-250 miles of road before getting to your destination but when you have 3 or 4 days set aside, 4 hours driving time isn’t bad at all.

July & August: This is the Prime Time of vacations (if you’re north of the equator that is; otherwise you’re looking fondly at January and February to give you that feeling of anticipation). This is where you do your best road trip planning because you’ve got a 7-10 day itinerary to fill. Choose a National Park for an outdoor vacation in July and then a cultural city like Boston or San Francisco for August. This is also about the time you realize that while you’re working for a living, the living’s mighty easy when you’re on vacation.
September & October: You can still get some Dog Days of Summer in September, even if the official day for Fall is September 21st. This might be the time you’ll need that 5-piece luggage set to have the correct clothes on hand for the changing weather. But really, all it takes is layers; make sure you have that extra jacket or sweater in the trunk of the car, maybe an extra pair of shoes. Your road trip planner might include checking out the Fall Colors in the East, the desert in the mid-west, or the always-warm waters surrounding the Florida Keys. Stretch your vacation out as wide as you can because the remaining two months will most likely be filled with holiday travel. Campground choices range family oriented ones like Martha’s Vineyard Family Campground to luxury cabins in the Smoky Mountains in Gaitlinburg, Tennessee.November & December: Try grabbing an overnight getaway before mid-November. Once the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays grab a hold of your time, it won’t let go until January. So sneak away to a lodge with a fireplace, or get away for a golf and spa weekend.

There you have it… a year’s worth of highways and byways to keep your road trip plannerrunning like a well-oiled machine. Enjoy the rides!